Congress slams Tharoor

During his recent visit to the state, Tharoor had told a local news channel that the Congress' door was always open for Patnaik.

BHUBANESHWAR: EMBARRASSED over Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Shashi Tharoor's remarks on Biju Janata Dal supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Congress' Orissa unit has lodged a protest with the party high command.

During his recent visit to the state, Tharoor had told a local news channel that the Congress' door was always open for Patnaik.

"It may be the personal view of Tharoor but he has no authority to speak about the party matters in Orissa. We have already lodged our protest with the concerned AICC leaders," said Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Jaydev Jena.

Jena said when senior party leaders visit the state; they contact local Congress leaders and even visit the party office in Bhubaneswar.

However, Tharoor, who visited the state last week with his wife Sunanda Pushkar, neither went to the Congress Bhavan nor did he try to get in touch with any party leader.